While Mexico’s squad for this year’s CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship is younger, on average, then the United States’ roster, they are not inexperienced. Nine players from the team that finished second at the 2018 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup are on this roster, including Canadian-born Silvana Flores, who plays for Arsenal FC’s Under-21 team.
In addition, the coach of that history-making squad, retired Mexican international Mónica Vergara, now leads this team. Vergara, who was Mexico’s youngest player at the 1999 Women’s World Cup, was also a member of Mexico’s squad at the 2004 Olympics and their Under-19 team at the 2002 FIFA Under-19 Women’s World Championship.
With Mexico is in Group D and the United States in Group C, a potential knockout round match-up could not happen until… the final.
And, with only two tickets available for this year’s FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, luckily for both Mexico and the United States, they are guaranteed to not face each other in an all-or-nothing semifinal.
For Mexico, their most likely semifinal opponent is rising power Haiti, while the USA will most likely face Canada, who will be without a trio of senior WNT players. (Full schedule, group details, and knockout bracket)
MEXICO’S ROSTER FOR THE 2020 CONCACAF WOMEN’S UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP
Team name hyperlinks go to the player’s collegiate team profile or Liga MX Femenil profile.
Goalkeepers (2):
Zoe Aguirre (Eastern Kentucky)
Wendy Toledo (Santos Laguna)
Defenders (7):
Laura Parra (Toluca)
Julieta Peralta (Pachuca)
Reyna Reyes (Alabama)
Ximena Ríos (América)
Tanna Sanchez Carreto (Tec de Monterrey Campus Puebla; Alabama, 2020)
Nicole Soto (Arizona State)
Karla Zempoalteca (León)
Midfielders (5):
Silvana Flores (Arsenal FC Acad.)
Yanin Madrid (Pachuca)
Nicole Pérez (Guadalajara)
Maricarmen Reyes (UCLA)
Anette Vázquez (Guadalajara)
Forwards (6):
Nayeli Diaz (Saint Mary’s)
Alison González (Atlas)
Gabriela “Gabi” Juárez (Princeton)
Destinee Manzo (UC Irvine)
Joseline Montoya (Guadalajara)
Mariel Román (Toluca)
Table 1: Mexico’s Roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship – Detailed
Player P. Ht. D.O.B. Age Team Aguirre, Zoe GK 5'9" 10/03/2000 19.39 Eastern Kentucky Toledo, Wendy GK 5'10" 09/13/2000 19.44 Santos Laguna ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Parra, Laura DF 5'1" 12/19/2000 19.18 Toluca Peralta, Julieta DF 5'7" 04/14/2002 17.86 Pachuca Reyes, Reyna DF 5'7" 02/16/2001 19.01 Alabama Ríos, Ximena DF 5'3" 07/26/2001 18.58 América Sanchez, Tanna DF 5'6" 12/21/2001 18.17 Tec de Monterrey Soto, Nicole DF 5'5" 07/08/2001 18.63 Arizona State Zempoalteca, Karla DF 5'6" 05/18/2000 19.76 León ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Flores, Silvana MF 5'5" 04/18/2002 17.85 Arsenal FC Acad. Madrid, Yanin MF 5'4" 06/28/2002 17.65 Pachuca Pérez, Nicole MF 5'3" 08/30/2001 18.48 Guadalajara Reyes, Maricarmen MF 5'7" 04/23/2000 19.83 UCLA Vázquez, Anette MF 5'3" 03/11/2002 17.95 Guadalajara ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Diaz, Nayeli FW 5'9" 10/10/2001 18.37 Saint Mary's González, Alison FW 5'7" 01/31/2002 18.06 Atlas Juárez, Gabi FW 5'8" 04/13/2000 19.86 Princeton Manzo, Destinee FW 5'3" 08/02/2000 19.56 UC Irvine Montoya, Joseline FW 5'2" 07/03/2000 19.64 Guadalajara Román, Mariel FW 5'3" 11/17/2002 17.26 Toluca
Sources: Dates of Birth are from the provisional roster. Heights are pulled from official FIFA rosters (converted from centimeters), Liga MX Femenil profiles (converted from meters), and collegiate team profiles. Age is calculated as of the start of the tournament (22 February 2020).
NOTABLES
Birth-Year Breakdown: Only 8 players were born in the cut-off year, 2000. The remaining 12 players are split evenly between 2001 and 2002.
Age Stats: The roster’s average age is 18.73, with a median age of 18.60. The youngest player is Mariel Román at 17.26 years, while the oldest is Gabi Juárez at 19.86, who will not turn 20 until mid-April.
Liga MX Femenil vs. NCAA: A slim majority of players, 11 in all, are listed as members of the Mexican women’s league. Just 7 currently play for NCAA teams, with one player, Tanna Sanchez Carreto, set to join Alabama later this year. The final player, Silvana Flores, is currently attached to Arsenal FC’s youth academy.
2018 U-20 Cycle Returnees: Four players – Zoe Aguirre, Gabi Juárez, Maricarmen Reyes, and Wendy Toledo – were part of Mexico’s squad for the 2018 Under-20 Women’s World Cup. Juárez and Reyes were also on Mexico’s qualifying squad at the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship.
2018 U-17 WWC Runner-Ups: Nine players from Mexico’s 2018 Under-17 Women’s World Cup squad, which finished second to Spain, are included on this roster. Six of those players were born in 2001: Nayeli Diaz, Nicole Pérez, Reyna Reyes, Ximena Ríos, Tanna Sanchez, and Nicole Soto. The remaining three players – Silvana Flores, Alison González, and Julieta Peralta – were born in 2002.
More 2018 U-17 Cycle Returnees: Two additional players, Anette Vázquez and Yanin Madrid, participated in the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship, but were not on the U-17 WWC roster. (Of the players born in 2001 or 2002, Mariel Román is the only player to not make an official tournament roster.)
Dual Nationals:
- Princeton’s Gabi Juárez attended two USA youth national team camps: A U-14 camp in 2014 and a U-16 camp in 2015.
- Silvana Flores (CanadaSoccer.com profile) attended two Canadian youth camps: a U-15 talent identification camp in 2014 and an EXCEL identification camp in 2017. Flores’ father, Ruben Flores, briefly played in Liga MX, before moving to Canada. (Fansided)
